What do you think?
Rate this book
The Truth Hurts
In this twisty, compelling thriller, a young woman quickly embarks on what she thinks is the relationship and love of a lifetime, and she’s thrilled when her new husband insists they follow one rule: they don’t talk about the past, but it’s a rule that has dangerous consequences—perfect for fans of A Simple Favor and The Kiss Quotient.
Is her new husband hiding something?
Caught up in a whirlwind romance that starts in sunny Ibiza and leads to the cool corridors of a luxurious English country estate, Poppy barely has time to catch her breath, let alone seriously question if all this is too good to be true. Drew is enamored, devoted, and, okay, a little mysterious—but that's part of the thrill. What's the harm in letting his past remain private?
Maybe he's not the only one…
Fortunately, Drew never seems to wonder why his young wife has so readily agreed to their unusual pact to live only in the here and now and not probe their personal histories. Perhaps he assumes, as others do, that she is simply swept up in the intoxication of infatuation and sudden wealth. What's the harm in letting them believe that?
How far will they go to keep the past buried?
Isolated in Drew's sprawling mansion, Poppy starts to have time to doubt the man she's married, to wonder what in his past might be so terrible that it can't be spoken of, to imagine what harm he might be capable of. She doesn't want this dream to shatter. But Poppy may soon be forced to confront the dark truth that there are sins far more dangerous than the sin of omission…
Is her new husband hiding something?
Caught up in a whirlwind romance that starts in sunny Ibiza and leads to the cool corridors of a luxurious English country estate, Poppy barely has time to catch her breath, let alone seriously question if all this is too good to be true. Drew is enamored, devoted, and, okay, a little mysterious—but that's part of the thrill. What's the harm in letting his past remain private?
Maybe he's not the only one…
Fortunately, Drew never seems to wonder why his young wife has so readily agreed to their unusual pact to live only in the here and now and not probe their personal histories. Perhaps he assumes, as others do, that she is simply swept up in the intoxication of infatuation and sudden wealth. What's the harm in letting them believe that?
How far will they go to keep the past buried?
Isolated in Drew's sprawling mansion, Poppy starts to have time to doubt the man she's married, to wonder what in his past might be so terrible that it can't be spoken of, to imagine what harm he might be capable of. She doesn't want this dream to shatter. But Poppy may soon be forced to confront the dark truth that there are sins far more dangerous than the sin of omission…
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2019
193 people are currently reading
7319 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 614 reviews
September 9, 2020
Drew and Poppy! They had love at first Ibiza bar (the beers they sell must be enchanting) Their chemistry is so strong. They keep secrets from each other and they act suspicious. They lie because they know when truth comes out they can lose what they have together…
I can still hear Lizzo singing:”Bom bom bi dom bi dum dum bay” when I’m reading their story.
Do you want to know how their story begins?
Poppy gets fired from her nanny job she’s been doing for last 6 years because she stands up against the careless mother who neglects her kids. She gets kicked out in the middle of the night, borrowing her ex-bosses’ jeep and wearing ex-boss’ high heels (her pride prevents her get back to house for her own shoes) and she finally stops at a bar, spending her last money for the beers as charming, older, rich man sits her table. Yes this is Drew. He seduces her, offering his house’s guest room for the night, rejecting to have sex with her because they’re both drunk (what a gentleman!) and the very next day, he buys her clothes, pays for hairdresser, joins her to face with her ex-boss Mrs. Henderson for getting her last payment and leaving the car keys to her house.
So their one night stand-ish meets Pretty Woman-ish relationship slowly turns into summer fling and finally Drew asks her to marry him. And he also offers her to have a clean slate, having an agreement: they’re not talking about their past, they will focus on their futures.
This is a definition of Poppy’s dream marriage because something happened to her or she did something really bad at her first nanny gig that she is still feeling guilty about it. But what if her husband dearest’s secret way too much bigger than hers?
He buys her a new house as wedding present named “Thursday House” (Because they met on Thursday, oh Drew, how sweet of you!) but why everyone in the town rejects to work there or why they are over charging them for any regular service? Who were the previous owners of the house? Why they left so fast without getting any of their belongings?
Poppy is afraid of knowing because asking for the truth means she has to come clean with her sins she’s atoned. What if hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil is the best way to have a perfect marriage! But what if her perfect marriage is just façade and there is a great danger waiting for her at the other side of the iceberg?
Well, ending is twisty and dark. This book is one of quickest reads. It was captivating, smart, entertaining. It slowed down after the middle, I started to lose my interest but thankfully the author picked up the place where she hits the brakes and starts her fast pacing, heart throbbing drive till the end.
I liked Poppy. Straightforward, smart, sassy, has been raised by over conservative, abusing mother, learning from her mistakes. And their hot chemistry with Drew was intriguing. There are still some missing elements about the final conclusion. Maybe I was waiting for more soul crushing explanations but it was still good enough for me.
I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 because it was still better than 3 starred, mediocre, Switzerland books.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sharing this page turner ARC in exchange my honest review.
blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
I can still hear Lizzo singing:”Bom bom bi dom bi dum dum bay” when I’m reading their story.
Do you want to know how their story begins?
Poppy gets fired from her nanny job she’s been doing for last 6 years because she stands up against the careless mother who neglects her kids. She gets kicked out in the middle of the night, borrowing her ex-bosses’ jeep and wearing ex-boss’ high heels (her pride prevents her get back to house for her own shoes) and she finally stops at a bar, spending her last money for the beers as charming, older, rich man sits her table. Yes this is Drew. He seduces her, offering his house’s guest room for the night, rejecting to have sex with her because they’re both drunk (what a gentleman!) and the very next day, he buys her clothes, pays for hairdresser, joins her to face with her ex-boss Mrs. Henderson for getting her last payment and leaving the car keys to her house.
So their one night stand-ish meets Pretty Woman-ish relationship slowly turns into summer fling and finally Drew asks her to marry him. And he also offers her to have a clean slate, having an agreement: they’re not talking about their past, they will focus on their futures.
This is a definition of Poppy’s dream marriage because something happened to her or she did something really bad at her first nanny gig that she is still feeling guilty about it. But what if her husband dearest’s secret way too much bigger than hers?
He buys her a new house as wedding present named “Thursday House” (Because they met on Thursday, oh Drew, how sweet of you!) but why everyone in the town rejects to work there or why they are over charging them for any regular service? Who were the previous owners of the house? Why they left so fast without getting any of their belongings?
Poppy is afraid of knowing because asking for the truth means she has to come clean with her sins she’s atoned. What if hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil is the best way to have a perfect marriage! But what if her perfect marriage is just façade and there is a great danger waiting for her at the other side of the iceberg?
Well, ending is twisty and dark. This book is one of quickest reads. It was captivating, smart, entertaining. It slowed down after the middle, I started to lose my interest but thankfully the author picked up the place where she hits the brakes and starts her fast pacing, heart throbbing drive till the end.
I liked Poppy. Straightforward, smart, sassy, has been raised by over conservative, abusing mother, learning from her mistakes. And their hot chemistry with Drew was intriguing. There are still some missing elements about the final conclusion. Maybe I was waiting for more soul crushing explanations but it was still good enough for me.
I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 because it was still better than 3 starred, mediocre, Switzerland books.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for sharing this page turner ARC in exchange my honest review.
blog
July 30, 2020
You know The Truth Hurts is going to be a trainwreck, right from the start, as twenty eight year old Poppy is having her mansion demolished so that the property can be turned into a park for children. Then we go back five months earlier, when Poppy is being fired from her nanny job of six years. Poppy takes her former employer's car to a bar to figure out what she's going to do, where she meets wealthy, forty three year old Drew. Poppy needs a place to sleep for the night, Drew is willing to provide one, and that's the beginning of their relationship, based on sex and never speaking of their pasts before they met each other. The last part, never speaking of their pasts, is Drew's idea, the way he wants their relationship to be and Poppy is willing to go along with that pact because she has something really bad in her past. At the same time, Poppy knows that Drew has something bad in his background, too, because why else would he not want to ever talk about it.
For me, this was a pure junk food read, something I was ready for at this time and I enjoyed the heck out of it, except for all the sex. Yes, the relationship was based on sex but I could have used a black screen for those scenes, where words scrolled across the screen, saying "And then they did it, again!". Don't forget to read the author's note at the end, with her funny, passive aggressive mention of her husband.
Published July 28th 2020
Thank you to Harper Perennial/HarperCollins and Edelweiss for this ARC.
For me, this was a pure junk food read, something I was ready for at this time and I enjoyed the heck out of it, except for all the sex. Yes, the relationship was based on sex but I could have used a black screen for those scenes, where words scrolled across the screen, saying "And then they did it, again!". Don't forget to read the author's note at the end, with her funny, passive aggressive mention of her husband.
Published July 28th 2020
Thank you to Harper Perennial/HarperCollins and Edelweiss for this ARC.
February 20, 2020
This may be one of the most fitting titles ...ever! Yes the truth definitely does hurt! Especially if you are Gina.. don't worry you will get that once you have read the book.
A girl, a guy hook up in a bar. They never leave each other's side...then rush to get married...I mean what could go wrong??? Well for starters these two could be called crazy meets crazier!
Poor little Poppy is fired from her position as a nanny from the Henderson's when she dares to speak up when they showed up hours late from their night out. Instead of apologizing for keeping Poppy up late, they kicked her out into the street. Not just out into the street, but into the street in Ibiza, where they were at for vacation. How heartless is that? She didn't know a single person. Just for speaking up. Well that is what she tells Drew.
Oh Drew...handsome, rich, controlling, secretive, Drew. What is this guy hiding and what is his agenda? I mean at times he was just so darn romantic. He bought her a house and named it after the day of the week they met. He named it Thursday House, I mean who even knows what day of the week they met? You go Drew, but then again, I sure hope his new wife is good with Thursday House because she had no say in it.
I don't know for some reason I kept finding myself humming Bad Romance by Lady Gaga the whole time I was writing this review. It was a twisted story of two little lovebirds full of secrets. Such an addictive, easy read. The ending did seem a bit rushed to me, with a big old twist that made me go ...oh now I get it. You will see that the beginning and the ending will tie in. Overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to more by this author.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins for this ARC via Netgalley.
A girl, a guy hook up in a bar. They never leave each other's side...then rush to get married...I mean what could go wrong??? Well for starters these two could be called crazy meets crazier!
Poor little Poppy is fired from her position as a nanny from the Henderson's when she dares to speak up when they showed up hours late from their night out. Instead of apologizing for keeping Poppy up late, they kicked her out into the street. Not just out into the street, but into the street in Ibiza, where they were at for vacation. How heartless is that? She didn't know a single person. Just for speaking up. Well that is what she tells Drew.
Oh Drew...handsome, rich, controlling, secretive, Drew. What is this guy hiding and what is his agenda? I mean at times he was just so darn romantic. He bought her a house and named it after the day of the week they met. He named it Thursday House, I mean who even knows what day of the week they met? You go Drew, but then again, I sure hope his new wife is good with Thursday House because she had no say in it.
I don't know for some reason I kept finding myself humming Bad Romance by Lady Gaga the whole time I was writing this review. It was a twisted story of two little lovebirds full of secrets. Such an addictive, easy read. The ending did seem a bit rushed to me, with a big old twist that made me go ...oh now I get it. You will see that the beginning and the ending will tie in. Overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to more by this author.
Thank you so much to Harper Collins for this ARC via Netgalley.
February 13, 2020
3.5 stars
When Poppy is fired from her job as a Nanny, at 2 AM, she does what any self-respecting young woman would do..heads to the nearest Pub, thinking she might pick someone up so she can have a bed to sleep in!
While there, she meets the mysterious Drew. What should’ve been a one night stand, turns into a whirlwind romance. Drew has money...lots of it...and one rule: they won’t talk about the past. Poppy agrees...as she has secrets of her own.
But, WHO is hiding the worse SIN?
This is a TWISTED romance, more so than a compelling thriller.
With a lot of focus on their love/lust, the middle dragged a bit for me.
As an avid reader of the thriller/suspense genre, I guessed much of the book, though NOT the exact ending. So, those who only read the genre occasionally may find it more surprising and satisfying than I did.
Entertaining enough, but light on the suspense.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Perennial and Rebecca Reid for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!
This will be released on July 28, 2020.
When Poppy is fired from her job as a Nanny, at 2 AM, she does what any self-respecting young woman would do..heads to the nearest Pub, thinking she might pick someone up so she can have a bed to sleep in!
While there, she meets the mysterious Drew. What should’ve been a one night stand, turns into a whirlwind romance. Drew has money...lots of it...and one rule: they won’t talk about the past. Poppy agrees...as she has secrets of her own.
But, WHO is hiding the worse SIN?
This is a TWISTED romance, more so than a compelling thriller.
With a lot of focus on their love/lust, the middle dragged a bit for me.
As an avid reader of the thriller/suspense genre, I guessed much of the book, though NOT the exact ending. So, those who only read the genre occasionally may find it more surprising and satisfying than I did.
Entertaining enough, but light on the suspense.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Harper Perennial and Rebecca Reid for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review!
This will be released on July 28, 2020.
July 29, 2020
Some quick thoughts:
Both individuals in this couple have a shady past, and they decide to never talk about it. Water under the bridge, right? But whose secrets are worse? And how scary might they be? I loved how this felt like a different genre- more like a psychological romance with twists and turns. It was heated and saucy and fun!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Both individuals in this couple have a shady past, and they decide to never talk about it. Water under the bridge, right? But whose secrets are worse? And how scary might they be? I loved how this felt like a different genre- more like a psychological romance with twists and turns. It was heated and saucy and fun!
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 16, 2020
The Truth Hurts is a domestic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I highly recommend The Truth Hurts to thriller fans.
Thank you Edelweiss and Harper Collins/Harper Perennial for The Truth Hurts.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I highly recommend The Truth Hurts to thriller fans.
Thank you Edelweiss and Harper Collins/Harper Perennial for The Truth Hurts.
Full review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
August 20, 2019
‘Perfect Lies’, Rebecca Reid’s first book was brill, this is as brill if not briller!!
Poppy is a Nanny to a formidable family who basically treat her terrible, one night she has had enough and leaves......basically homeless and penniless she meets Drew
Drew is yummy, perfect, rich and a gentleman
They fall instantly in love and decide to marry
Everything is perfect
Well, these things do happen, don’t they?...
We find out they dont!
Drew has a past, we dont know what it is or what happened in it but it is alluded to all the way through
Now re read the last sentence but add Poppy instead of Drew!
With the help of Gina, Poppy’s bezzie and some abhorrent rich friends who come to stay at their new house ( abhorrently wonderful it has to be said ) it looks like we might get some answers
And then.....
And that’s it as far as plot goes as what happens next is sooooo bad but sooooo good for the reader!
Cleverly narrated with some chapters going back to Poppy’s former life the ‘want’ to know who these 2 really are and what they are hiding had me excited and eager to find out the truth behind these 2
Wonderfully descriptive, I wanted to move into Poppy and Drew’s new home and experience their lives and all the trappings that came with it, this book is a clever and captivating psychological thriller that teases the whole way through
10/10
5 Stars
November 14, 2020
Is it okay to keep your past a secret from the one you love? That fundamental question is at the heart of
The Truth Hurts
, Rebecca Reid's newest thriller.
It’s 2:00 a.m. Poppy has just been fired from her job as a nanny, where she was on holiday with the family in Ibiza. With barely any money and nowhere to turn, she winds up at a bar. There she meets a handsome, slightly older man, Drew, who can see that she’s in need of rescue. She, of course, doesn't want him to feel obligated but also doesn't want to be taken advantage of, but he surprises her with his actions.
Their not-quite meet cute is the start of a whirlwind romance, although Poppy keeps waiting for Drew to tire of her. But somehow their relationship keeps going, and it’s not long before they agree to get married and Drew buys an English country estate for them to live in, giving her carte blanche to do what she wants with the house.
Before they get married, Drew offers a proposal: they’ll plan their future but never talk about their pasts. Never. Since Poppy has her own secrets, she’s more than fine with this arrangement.
But the more time she spends in their isolated home, the more time Drew is away on business, the more people in the nearby town react negatively to her, she starts to wonder what her husband is hiding. Is she in danger?
I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Truth Hurts and how I was hooked from the very start. It’s a familiar story with some good twists, and even I was a little surprised at times.
While the book isn’t perfect—I was left with some unanswered questions—it was definitely a compelling read. Given how much thrillers have made me roll my eyes lately, I’m always happy to find one that doesn’t frustrate me!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
It’s 2:00 a.m. Poppy has just been fired from her job as a nanny, where she was on holiday with the family in Ibiza. With barely any money and nowhere to turn, she winds up at a bar. There she meets a handsome, slightly older man, Drew, who can see that she’s in need of rescue. She, of course, doesn't want him to feel obligated but also doesn't want to be taken advantage of, but he surprises her with his actions.
Their not-quite meet cute is the start of a whirlwind romance, although Poppy keeps waiting for Drew to tire of her. But somehow their relationship keeps going, and it’s not long before they agree to get married and Drew buys an English country estate for them to live in, giving her carte blanche to do what she wants with the house.
Before they get married, Drew offers a proposal: they’ll plan their future but never talk about their pasts. Never. Since Poppy has her own secrets, she’s more than fine with this arrangement.
But the more time she spends in their isolated home, the more time Drew is away on business, the more people in the nearby town react negatively to her, she starts to wonder what her husband is hiding. Is she in danger?
I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Truth Hurts and how I was hooked from the very start. It’s a familiar story with some good twists, and even I was a little surprised at times.
While the book isn’t perfect—I was left with some unanswered questions—it was definitely a compelling read. Given how much thrillers have made me roll my eyes lately, I’m always happy to find one that doesn’t frustrate me!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
September 1, 2019
Poppy is sacked from her nannying job for standing up to her boss.Its 2am and she is told to leave straightaway. Not only does she lose her job but is homeless too.
Poppy meets Drew at a bar, he is handsome and rich and offers her a place to stay. They soon become a couple and a month later he proposes to her. He suggests they have a pact where they do not talk about their pasts but concentrate on their futures. Surely only someone with skeletons in their closet would suggest such a thing. Poppy readily agrees as she has her own secrets that she is keen to hide. Can you build a future with someone you know nothing about?
Highly addictive read, I was desperate to find out what guilty secrets Drew and Poppy were hiding. We go back to Poppys past and learn more about her, but Drew remains a mystery!!
I loved how the suspense builds throughout this book. Yes you may have read similar stories but this was excellent with its larger than life characters, and the beautiful house that he bought her as a wedding present and to top it all its jaw dropping conclusion!!!
A must read book that I read in one sitting. 10 out of 10 from me!! I’m looking for her other book “Perfect Liars” now.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Poppy meets Drew at a bar, he is handsome and rich and offers her a place to stay. They soon become a couple and a month later he proposes to her. He suggests they have a pact where they do not talk about their pasts but concentrate on their futures. Surely only someone with skeletons in their closet would suggest such a thing. Poppy readily agrees as she has her own secrets that she is keen to hide. Can you build a future with someone you know nothing about?
Highly addictive read, I was desperate to find out what guilty secrets Drew and Poppy were hiding. We go back to Poppys past and learn more about her, but Drew remains a mystery!!
I loved how the suspense builds throughout this book. Yes you may have read similar stories but this was excellent with its larger than life characters, and the beautiful house that he bought her as a wedding present and to top it all its jaw dropping conclusion!!!
A must read book that I read in one sitting. 10 out of 10 from me!! I’m looking for her other book “Perfect Liars” now.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
September 26, 2020
Okay, I concede. They're just not my genres. I've tried. I didn't like "Gone Girl." I didn't like "Me Before You." Your reviews made me think I'm missing out on something, have a loose screw maybe, so I decided to try again and bought two. This is the first I chose to read.
I didn't buy into the story. I didn't like not liking the unlikeable characters. I didn't find the sex sexy. I didn't find the mystery mysterious. I read to the end hoping to be blown away but for me it was a total waa waa waaaaa.
It's the genres. I'm not good at suspending disbelief reading chick lit or psychological thrillers. I'll finish the other one sometime and stick to reading your reviews. I so enjoy them, they're a much more entertaining use of my time. :)
I didn't buy into the story. I didn't like not liking the unlikeable characters. I didn't find the sex sexy. I didn't find the mystery mysterious. I read to the end hoping to be blown away but for me it was a total waa waa waaaaa.
It's the genres. I'm not good at suspending disbelief reading chick lit or psychological thrillers. I'll finish the other one sometime and stick to reading your reviews. I so enjoy them, they're a much more entertaining use of my time. :)
February 15, 2020
This was a quick easy read about a seemingly too good to be true romance.
Who wouldn't want to be whisked off their feet by a great looking guy who's also rich ?
There's a catch: They can't ask about each other's pasts and Poppy is struggling to adhere to the proposal agreement. She senses that her new husband is lying, which he is. However, Poppy is not without her own secrets, the little minx!
After racing through this, I'm left with the thought that it appears subtly sinister but I didn't realize the extent until the finale. Yay for surprises!
Who wouldn't want to be whisked off their feet by a great looking guy who's also rich ?
There's a catch: They can't ask about each other's pasts and Poppy is struggling to adhere to the proposal agreement. She senses that her new husband is lying, which he is. However, Poppy is not without her own secrets, the little minx!
After racing through this, I'm left with the thought that it appears subtly sinister but I didn't realize the extent until the finale. Yay for surprises!
August 30, 2020
Nothing shady about the pact Drew and Poppy made at all, am I right?
The Truth Hurts was so slow-burning, I actually found it a little on the dull side. You'd think a story about the past coming back to haunt you would be riveting.
Yea, not so much.
And while the ending had a ton of potential and was mildly satisfying, it was over in just a few paragraphs. Rushed doesn't even begin to describe that conclusion.
Overall, I'd say this is a fairly average domestic drama/romance/'kind of' suspense.
2.5 stars
The Truth Hurts was so slow-burning, I actually found it a little on the dull side. You'd think a story about the past coming back to haunt you would be riveting.
Yea, not so much.
And while the ending had a ton of potential and was mildly satisfying, it was over in just a few paragraphs. Rushed doesn't even begin to describe that conclusion.
Overall, I'd say this is a fairly average domestic drama/romance/'kind of' suspense.
2.5 stars
January 23, 2020
5☆ An Unputdownable, Original Thriller Romance, that's full of Intrigue, Mystery, Secrets and Suspense!
Truth Hurts is an Engrossing and Intriguing read that has a lil bit of everything, from thriller, romance, mystery and suspense.
The story starts off as a whirlwind Romance when Poppy meets Drew one drunken night after being fired from her Nanny job.
After a wonderful night together the chemistry sizzles between them and Poppy moves into Drew's holiday home with him.
After just one month the two are married.
But there is just one condition to the marriage..... they never discuss their past, only looking towards their future.
Weird right! Only knowing someone 1month, married, but know nothing really about them, his rich and has just bought a house for them without telling Poppy, but is mysterious and secretive..... alarm bells should be ringing.... right?
But why would you not want your past to be revealed.... is Drew hiding something? Or is it Poppy with the secrets? .... Just what are they keeping hidden from each other?
Oh and Their home... Thursday House gave me the heebie jeebies, just why does none of the locals want anything to do with that house?
The story is told in past and present chapters. Where the past is told by Caroline, about Poppy when she was a Nanny for her family. As her story is unravelled so are her secrets. It was so enthralling to read her story!
Truth Hurts is such a fantastic and original read.
I loved that it was not just a thriller but a passionate romance which is full of hidden secrets, intrigue, mystery and perfectly plotted twists that kept me hooked.
The Characters are brilliantly written, they are complex and flawed and I couldn't help being completely endeared by them!
There are plenty of twists to this story, some I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate with my thriller books.
The pace is perfect and the tension ramps up nicely.
If you are looking for a very Original Thriller, that will have you Gripped, Keep You Guessing and Ultimately an Unputdownable Read..... Then Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid is definitely the book for you!
Thank you to Damppebbles tours and Transworld Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Truth Hurts is an Engrossing and Intriguing read that has a lil bit of everything, from thriller, romance, mystery and suspense.
The story starts off as a whirlwind Romance when Poppy meets Drew one drunken night after being fired from her Nanny job.
After a wonderful night together the chemistry sizzles between them and Poppy moves into Drew's holiday home with him.
After just one month the two are married.
But there is just one condition to the marriage..... they never discuss their past, only looking towards their future.
Weird right! Only knowing someone 1month, married, but know nothing really about them, his rich and has just bought a house for them without telling Poppy, but is mysterious and secretive..... alarm bells should be ringing.... right?
But why would you not want your past to be revealed.... is Drew hiding something? Or is it Poppy with the secrets? .... Just what are they keeping hidden from each other?
Oh and Their home... Thursday House gave me the heebie jeebies, just why does none of the locals want anything to do with that house?
The story is told in past and present chapters. Where the past is told by Caroline, about Poppy when she was a Nanny for her family. As her story is unravelled so are her secrets. It was so enthralling to read her story!
Truth Hurts is such a fantastic and original read.
I loved that it was not just a thriller but a passionate romance which is full of hidden secrets, intrigue, mystery and perfectly plotted twists that kept me hooked.
The Characters are brilliantly written, they are complex and flawed and I couldn't help being completely endeared by them!
There are plenty of twists to this story, some I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate with my thriller books.
The pace is perfect and the tension ramps up nicely.
If you are looking for a very Original Thriller, that will have you Gripped, Keep You Guessing and Ultimately an Unputdownable Read..... Then Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid is definitely the book for you!
Thank you to Damppebbles tours and Transworld Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0...
September 12, 2019
You no this really was quite a simple concept, not incredibly taxing and really not that complicated but it worked fantastically.
A gripping read that managed to pull me in and instantly invest me in the unfolding narrative.
So Poppy gets fired from her nannying job by her insufferable employers and thrown out in the middle of the night in a foreign country.
Taking the car she heads to a nearby bar and here she meets an older man: the mysterious charismatic and wealthy Drew.
Drew really does become her knight rescuing her from her awful situation and offering her somewhere to stay as she has practically not a penny to her name.
When he proposes marriage after a whirlwind romance Poppy feels like the princess in a fairytale.
When he proposes leaving their past baggage out of the equation and concentrating instead on the now Poppy feels like she has been offered a lifeline.
with her past sins laid bare she is convinced Drew won't feel the same way about her.
Poppy knows what she's hiding but what about Drew just what is he keeping buried and hidden from her.
This switches between two narratives the past told from Poppy's previous employer Caroline's POV and the heart of her big-secret and the present told from Poppy's.
This swings back and forth building a sense of anticipation but also trepidation.
It's well written and managed to hook me almost instantly.
This is a story about secrets and though I thought I had this all worked out (and I mostly Did) there was still an instance at the end of this that just came out of left field shocking me.
Finally, I really appreciated that finale.
This really was a great read that I enjoyed very much.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Truth Hurts.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
![Profile Image for Lynn [LynnsLittleLibrary].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1646631884i%2F97377887._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 25, 2020
Thank you to #netgalley #rebeccareid and #harpercollins for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book was arduous for me. It took so long to get to ANY action, whatsoever. By the time you finally get a single answer.. It's hard even care about them anymore, honestly. The ending was a let down that was only amplified by the endless build up. The nanny-and-the-dad stuff was too cliche. I was a little excited when it felt like maybe Caroline would be the one to overstep, at least that'd be different. And unfortunately, the twist at the end felt cheap. The "mistake" Poppy made was terrible, but resulted in Jim dying inadvertently. And the murder from Drew's past was somewhat similar, also. For one, he was a child. And also, it haunted him and shaped his life, forever. Why are they SUDDENLY stone cold killers? Like I said, it felt like an out of the place twist for mere shock factor alone. If I was retooling this story, I'd drop some clues that they're both actually evil throughout the book and add some action at a couple of earlier intervals, as well. Too bad it didn't work out overall for me because the premise was SO intriguing.
This book was arduous for me. It took so long to get to ANY action, whatsoever. By the time you finally get a single answer.. It's hard even care about them anymore, honestly. The ending was a let down that was only amplified by the endless build up. The nanny-and-the-dad stuff was too cliche. I was a little excited when it felt like maybe Caroline would be the one to overstep, at least that'd be different. And unfortunately, the twist at the end felt cheap. The "mistake" Poppy made was terrible, but resulted in Jim dying inadvertently. And the murder from Drew's past was somewhat similar, also. For one, he was a child. And also, it haunted him and shaped his life, forever. Why are they SUDDENLY stone cold killers? Like I said, it felt like an out of the place twist for mere shock factor alone. If I was retooling this story, I'd drop some clues that they're both actually evil throughout the book and add some action at a couple of earlier intervals, as well. Too bad it didn't work out overall for me because the premise was SO intriguing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2020
I found this book to be really good. From start to finish it was completely addictive and I was desperate to know what happened next. The only downside was that I really didn’t like the main character poppy. All she did was constantly moan throughout the book and it was so draining. Other than that it was so good and I particularly liked the ending of the book which was brilliant. I definitely recommend this book.
July 9, 2020
A cute beach read/light domestic thriller. Cute story, a bit obvious, but it ends nicely.
February 12, 2020
Oh wow, this book was so good, when I started reading it I just didn’t want to stop so, even spare minute I had I was reading it. It was sometimes creepy but, most of the time it kept you guessing until the twist at the end.
I hadn’t read this author before but I see she’s written another one so I’ll be looking out for that one soon.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
I hadn’t read this author before but I see she’s written another one so I’ll be looking out for that one soon.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
August 9, 2020
I can’t give this one five stars but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it. Although it’s labeled as thriller, I knew it wasn’t before starting because I have the best GR friends 🙌🏼 I tore through this book at lightening speed. Partly because it’s short but also because it’s a page turner! The perfect summer domestic suspense. I absolutely loved how it ended 😈 I got this from the library but let’s just say if I had spent a credit on it, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
September 14, 2020
Pretty Woman meets Rebecca in this deliciously dysfunctional tale of a marriage gone wrong! It may start sweet and romancy, and I was briefly wondering if I had misinterpreted the “thriller” description that made me pick this book off the shelf, but as I got deeper into the story it became obvious that this could not end well!
Twenty something nanny Poppy finds herself stranded in Ibiza after confronting her (horrible) employer and getting fired on the spot. With no return ticket and hardly any money to her name, she is indeed in trouble. Enter handsome, forty-something Drew, a wealthy businessman holidaying on the island, who chats up the downcast Poppy in a bar she has sought refuge in. Hearing of her tragic circumstances, he offers her to stay with him in his luxury apartment – and BAM! A steamy one night stand later, Drew declares his undying insta-love for Poppy, who is also smitten by her rich and gentle lover. In a whirlwind romance they get married. But of course there is a catch – there would be, right? Drew does not ask for a prenup, but he asks that the condition of their marriage is that the past must never be spoken of. Shady, right? Well, our lovely Poppy has her own secrets, so she is not totally opposed to that plan. Until she finds herself installed in the old mansion in England Drew bought for her as a wedding present – and discovers that there may be some secrets in Drew’s past that have come back to haunt them.
THE TRUTH HURTS was the type of fast, entertaining and surprisingly fun popcorn read I love to relax with. Best enjoyed with a cold bevy in one hand whilst sunning yourself on a deckchair and escaping into a world where you know that things are screwed up but you don’t care because it’s fun to watch these characters gradually get more and more entangled in their lies and slowly implode. I liked Poppy, who is energetic and plucky and just had an energy I enjoyed, so the story quickly swept me along and kept me entertained. Just as I thought I knew how it would all end, BAM! The author inserted another twist I had not seen coming.
In summary, pick up THE TRUTH HURTS when you’re in the mood for a fast, fun entertaining read chockablock full of characters who tumble headlong into disaster but who are still enigmatic enough that you want to root for them. With an energetic young lead, the story will sweep you off on a fantasy ride that is perfect for a beach or holiday read, with a G & T in one hand whilst lounging in a deck chair in the sun.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Perennial for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
Twenty something nanny Poppy finds herself stranded in Ibiza after confronting her (horrible) employer and getting fired on the spot. With no return ticket and hardly any money to her name, she is indeed in trouble. Enter handsome, forty-something Drew, a wealthy businessman holidaying on the island, who chats up the downcast Poppy in a bar she has sought refuge in. Hearing of her tragic circumstances, he offers her to stay with him in his luxury apartment – and BAM! A steamy one night stand later, Drew declares his undying insta-love for Poppy, who is also smitten by her rich and gentle lover. In a whirlwind romance they get married. But of course there is a catch – there would be, right? Drew does not ask for a prenup, but he asks that the condition of their marriage is that the past must never be spoken of. Shady, right? Well, our lovely Poppy has her own secrets, so she is not totally opposed to that plan. Until she finds herself installed in the old mansion in England Drew bought for her as a wedding present – and discovers that there may be some secrets in Drew’s past that have come back to haunt them.
THE TRUTH HURTS was the type of fast, entertaining and surprisingly fun popcorn read I love to relax with. Best enjoyed with a cold bevy in one hand whilst sunning yourself on a deckchair and escaping into a world where you know that things are screwed up but you don’t care because it’s fun to watch these characters gradually get more and more entangled in their lies and slowly implode. I liked Poppy, who is energetic and plucky and just had an energy I enjoyed, so the story quickly swept me along and kept me entertained. Just as I thought I knew how it would all end, BAM! The author inserted another twist I had not seen coming.
In summary, pick up THE TRUTH HURTS when you’re in the mood for a fast, fun entertaining read chockablock full of characters who tumble headlong into disaster but who are still enigmatic enough that you want to root for them. With an energetic young lead, the story will sweep you off on a fantasy ride that is perfect for a beach or holiday read, with a G & T in one hand whilst lounging in a deck chair in the sun.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Perennial for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
July 28, 2020
The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid may be a slow burn, but it was one that I just did not want to put down. The entire time I was reading I was just waiting for a bombshell, because really, who gets a rich, handsome older man that quickly when there isn't something shady going on? And of course I had to wait the whole book for it, but the end was definitely worth it, and even more than I had bargained for! I also loved the switches between the past and present day, although I thought the past was a tiny bit predictable. Not all of it, don't get me wrong, but a small part was.
I thought that Reid did a great job of building suspense in The Truth Hurts, and it was definitely engrossing. I could see this easily being a one sitting read for a lot of people and if I would have had the time it would have been for me as well. The burn was slow, but the pacing was excellent, and it kept me interested the entire time. Also, the setting for a lot of the book was positively creepy!! Thursday House gave me all the weird, spooky vibes which I love so much.
The Truth Hurts is definitely on the lighter side of thrillers and would be perfect for someone who doesn't want all the gore and heavy topics most thrillers include (although there is still a warning here for abuse and suicide). I am definitely going to be reading more books from Reid and this book does raise the question - would you be willing to marry someone that doesn't want to talk about the past?
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I thought that Reid did a great job of building suspense in The Truth Hurts, and it was definitely engrossing. I could see this easily being a one sitting read for a lot of people and if I would have had the time it would have been for me as well. The burn was slow, but the pacing was excellent, and it kept me interested the entire time. Also, the setting for a lot of the book was positively creepy!! Thursday House gave me all the weird, spooky vibes which I love so much.
The Truth Hurts is definitely on the lighter side of thrillers and would be perfect for someone who doesn't want all the gore and heavy topics most thrillers include (although there is still a warning here for abuse and suicide). I am definitely going to be reading more books from Reid and this book does raise the question - would you be willing to marry someone that doesn't want to talk about the past?
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
October 22, 2020
I think this is a 3.5 rounded up? I'm unsure where to land on the ending. Up until the very end The Truth Hurts is a pretty pitch perfect modern British domestic suspense Gothic. It even literally references Jane Eyre and Rebecca as books our young nanny has read, and we get said nanny-turned-wife to older rich man who won't talk about his past wondering if her house is "out to get her." It builds and builds and builds and had me turning pages.
And then it attempts to stick QUITE the landing. It was an emotional shock and I'm just not sure it worked for me? Haven't dipped into other reviews but I'd bet a lot of people had issues with the ending. I'll discuss that more with spoilers shortly.
Regardless: 95% of this book is an excellent suspense read if you like ridiculous rich Brits, enigmatic old British manor houses, Keeping Up With the Joneses social torture (the kind where the fish out of water MC tries desperately to hold her own against the upper class set), that Gothic feel, and a slow burning GET OUT GIRL SOMETHING IS WRONG feeling. I was immediately drawn in and keen to return to the pages each evening. Though one quibble I have with the ARC formatting that I assume was fixed for the final printed copies--the prologue was BEFORE the table of contents and not actually IN the table of contents so I was a third into the book when I realized I had missed the prologue! Once I read it, it completely changed the suspense build of the book.
The characters are vivid, I definitely cared about multiple of them, and as mentioned there is some delicious social torture moments. We're also going back and forth between past and present, and past chapters are from the POV of a mum with a young nanny, and you catch on pretty quick this MUST tie to Poppy (our former nanny character) and it's a slow build of "what the hell happened" to the end.
One note, however: I found it ultimately very odd that both Poppy and Gina in two different spots were referred to using POC words but... I don't think they are POC? I literally went back and double-checked--neither is EVER fully described in terms of their appearance beyond hair color for both, and some freckles for Poppy. We know Poppy is beautiful and ginger but not much else, which wouldn't matter since everyone in the book defaults to white... except twice in the Ibiza scenes the author describes her skin as brown? Look there are 100% POC gingers, but given no where else does it ever come up that Poppy is non-white (and I think in this world it would?) so I think this was the author's hamfisted way of saying Poppy was tan from being in Ibiza... bad form! Don't call a white person brown b/c they are tan! And Gina is described by another character in a single scene late in the book as "exotic"... and I was like "wait wtf is she POC?" and I went back and reread both her introduction scenes--the first one on the phone in chapter one and the first time she physically appears at Thursday House and there is NEVER a physical description of her beyond "dark curly hair" and that she's tall and very thin. So I'm left over here like... if Gina is a POC it's poorly done which ultimately... no she can't be; she's defaulted to white. ARGH. I'm typically not a stickler for this, but when you use words that are coded to mean "POC" but otherwise your characters 100% default to white... it's weird. That said, I read an ARC and perhaps this was fixed before final copies.
Now onto my feelings about the ending... First, non-spoilery, because of the direction it goes in, it did feel like there were a few dropped plots, IMO. Or just things that didn't satisfactorily conclude.
One more thing I was moderately uncomfortable with and it relates to mental health depiction so I wanted to note that outside tags, and discuss more fully with spoilers. There is a plot conceit/twist that ties to mental health and I am just not sure it is a responsible depiction of said thing. It might have been with further deconstruction, but it's like there's one mini-beat missing that could have been put in to address it and wasn't.
And then it attempts to stick QUITE the landing. It was an emotional shock and I'm just not sure it worked for me? Haven't dipped into other reviews but I'd bet a lot of people had issues with the ending. I'll discuss that more with spoilers shortly.
Regardless: 95% of this book is an excellent suspense read if you like ridiculous rich Brits, enigmatic old British manor houses, Keeping Up With the Joneses social torture (the kind where the fish out of water MC tries desperately to hold her own against the upper class set), that Gothic feel, and a slow burning GET OUT GIRL SOMETHING IS WRONG feeling. I was immediately drawn in and keen to return to the pages each evening. Though one quibble I have with the ARC formatting that I assume was fixed for the final printed copies--the prologue was BEFORE the table of contents and not actually IN the table of contents so I was a third into the book when I realized I had missed the prologue! Once I read it, it completely changed the suspense build of the book.
The characters are vivid, I definitely cared about multiple of them, and as mentioned there is some delicious social torture moments. We're also going back and forth between past and present, and past chapters are from the POV of a mum with a young nanny, and you catch on pretty quick this MUST tie to Poppy (our former nanny character) and it's a slow build of "what the hell happened" to the end.
One note, however: I found it ultimately very odd that both Poppy and Gina in two different spots were referred to using POC words but... I don't think they are POC? I literally went back and double-checked--neither is EVER fully described in terms of their appearance beyond hair color for both, and some freckles for Poppy. We know Poppy is beautiful and ginger but not much else, which wouldn't matter since everyone in the book defaults to white... except twice in the Ibiza scenes the author describes her skin as brown? Look there are 100% POC gingers, but given no where else does it ever come up that Poppy is non-white (and I think in this world it would?) so I think this was the author's hamfisted way of saying Poppy was tan from being in Ibiza... bad form! Don't call a white person brown b/c they are tan! And Gina is described by another character in a single scene late in the book as "exotic"... and I was like "wait wtf is she POC?" and I went back and reread both her introduction scenes--the first one on the phone in chapter one and the first time she physically appears at Thursday House and there is NEVER a physical description of her beyond "dark curly hair" and that she's tall and very thin. So I'm left over here like... if Gina is a POC it's poorly done which ultimately... no she can't be; she's defaulted to white. ARGH. I'm typically not a stickler for this, but when you use words that are coded to mean "POC" but otherwise your characters 100% default to white... it's weird. That said, I read an ARC and perhaps this was fixed before final copies.
Now onto my feelings about the ending... First, non-spoilery, because of the direction it goes in, it did feel like there were a few dropped plots, IMO. Or just things that didn't satisfactorily conclude.
One more thing I was moderately uncomfortable with and it relates to mental health depiction so I wanted to note that outside tags, and discuss more fully with spoilers. There is a plot conceit/twist that ties to mental health and I am just not sure it is a responsible depiction of said thing. It might have been with further deconstruction, but it's like there's one mini-beat missing that could have been put in to address it and wasn't.
July 20, 2020
The Truth Hurts is a light domestic suspense novel, and I think it's a perfect pick for a summer read. It kept me interested, and I really enjoyed reading it. It has some gothic tones, and I could totally see this being a miniseries show. I hope to read more from this author!
CW - suicide, sexual harassment
CW - suicide, sexual harassment
February 4, 2021
So painfully boring and a complete waste of time. There are 362 pages in this book and nothing happens until Page 347. So that's 346 pages of dullness followed by 16 pages of nonsense. You decide which is worse.
August 26, 2019
This has got to be my fastest read to date as I just couldn’t put it down. I really can’t believe this expertly crafted thriller is only her second book.
It has everything I love in a thriller, secrets aplenty, a dual narrative timeline, and a house where something is not quite right.
I loved the main protagonist Poppy who is a very naive nanny kicked out after offending the mother of her latest family. She is then rescued by Drew and after a whirlwind romance they marry. This is definitely a case of he seems too good to be true and after they make a pact to never ask of each other’s past you know damn well they both have some juicy secrets they don’t wish to share.
As the tag line suggests “all secrets surface eventually” you can’t help but be caught in the riptide.
The pacing is perfect, building the tension right up to the complete and utter mouth gaping shock inducing explosion of an ending. All I can say is bravo as I really didn’t see that coming.
It has everything I love in a thriller, secrets aplenty, a dual narrative timeline, and a house where something is not quite right.
I loved the main protagonist Poppy who is a very naive nanny kicked out after offending the mother of her latest family. She is then rescued by Drew and after a whirlwind romance they marry. This is definitely a case of he seems too good to be true and after they make a pact to never ask of each other’s past you know damn well they both have some juicy secrets they don’t wish to share.
As the tag line suggests “all secrets surface eventually” you can’t help but be caught in the riptide.
The pacing is perfect, building the tension right up to the complete and utter mouth gaping shock inducing explosion of an ending. All I can say is bravo as I really didn’t see that coming.
January 26, 2020
If something is too good to be true, then it probably is.
That was the first thought that came to my mind when I started reading this book. Poppy was fired from her nanny job and thrown out at 2am. She met Drew in a bar, and after a whirlwind romance a month long, they got married. They had a Pact, both would not ask the other of their past. And both were hiding many secrets.
My first book by author Rebecca Reid, I was floored by the wave of excitement that fizzed in me as I turned one page after the other. The author style of writing was brilliant. She kept the secrets hidden in such a way that the story told me Poppy's life in the present and her past. But the author kept schtum about Drew. That caused the bubble of curiosity to grow bigger in me.
The story had me jumping in glee, the characters really made me feel alive reading their story. I read for the pure joy of a thriller, so I kept with the flow of the story and didn't bother to guess. Just reading the author's words brought a frisson of pleasure in me. And the ending sideswiped me completely.
Ooooh a fantastic deadly read.
That was the first thought that came to my mind when I started reading this book. Poppy was fired from her nanny job and thrown out at 2am. She met Drew in a bar, and after a whirlwind romance a month long, they got married. They had a Pact, both would not ask the other of their past. And both were hiding many secrets.
My first book by author Rebecca Reid, I was floored by the wave of excitement that fizzed in me as I turned one page after the other. The author style of writing was brilliant. She kept the secrets hidden in such a way that the story told me Poppy's life in the present and her past. But the author kept schtum about Drew. That caused the bubble of curiosity to grow bigger in me.
The story had me jumping in glee, the characters really made me feel alive reading their story. I read for the pure joy of a thriller, so I kept with the flow of the story and didn't bother to guess. Just reading the author's words brought a frisson of pleasure in me. And the ending sideswiped me completely.
Ooooh a fantastic deadly read.
May 5, 2020
I loved it! It was the kind of book that I had to read in one day because I couldnt wait to find out what was going on! I went into it not reading any reviews and so from the very first page I was intrigued. I loved the details of the home too. So beautiful.
This is a really well written book with a very twisted plot and some really messed up people :-) Read it!!!
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a really well written book with a very twisted plot and some really messed up people :-) Read it!!!
Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 26, 2020
Flimsy psychological thriller of a superficial couple and one very long wait for the reveal! Switch off entertainment.
Rebecca Reid’s second novel is a straightforward psychological thriller that makes its intentions clear pretty much from the off and instead of the twists and turns that most of the genre promise, this is one long wait for the pay off of the big reveal. Whilst the characters and scenario are admittedly very superficial and the story low on depth, the novel is undemanding switch off entertainment although I was very underwhelmed by the denouement which is over like a flash after three hundred pages spent in anticipation!
Twenty-eight-year-old nanny, Poppy, is accompanying the family she works for on holiday when she snaps after they take advantage of her one too many times and her condescending employer sacks her and throws her out of their apartment in the middle of the night. Letting off some steam in a roadside Spanish bar and nearly penniless she meets a charismatic older man whom she goes home with for the night. Forty-three year old venture capitalist, Drew Spencer, is not only kind, affluent and handsome but very taken with Poppy and what might have been a one-night stand quickly turns into a whirlwind romance with a proposal from Drew after a month. The caveat is that both Drew and Poppy commit to an agreement that they don’t talk about the past with Drew glibly stating that he doesn’t believe “total transparency is always the way towards happiness”. Of course, Poppy is not silly, she knows Drew will have his own dirty secret - just like the one she is determined to withhold - and despite the niggles in the back of her mind she parks her doubts because the agreement suits her.
The story is comprised of a dual narrative, one giving Poppy’s perspective on her unfolding marriage to Drew and one showing events ‘before’ when a twenty-one-year-old Poppy first nannied for North London couple, Caroline and Jim Walker. That Poppy is the common link between the two narratives is undisguised as is the fact that the shameful event she regrets happened during her time with the Walkers’, making her secret very guessable and leaving Drew as the real unknown quantity!
As Poppy settles into their new home in Wiltshire she is met by a frosty reception from the local villagers and is a little overawed to jointly-own the kind of home she previously worked in and by the world she now finds herself part of. Inviting best-friend and outspoken nanny, Gina, to stay and redecorating ahead of inviting Drew’s friends for a weekend temporarily distracts Poppy, but at the back of her mind she knows that Drew chose her for a reason and at some point the bombshell will drop. Disappointingly after such a long wait Drew’s secret is revealed in a flash with no build-up to the unveiling and a half-cocked denouement wraps the story up within five pages. Blink and you really will miss it!
Rebecca Reid’s second novel is a straightforward psychological thriller that makes its intentions clear pretty much from the off and instead of the twists and turns that most of the genre promise, this is one long wait for the pay off of the big reveal. Whilst the characters and scenario are admittedly very superficial and the story low on depth, the novel is undemanding switch off entertainment although I was very underwhelmed by the denouement which is over like a flash after three hundred pages spent in anticipation!
Twenty-eight-year-old nanny, Poppy, is accompanying the family she works for on holiday when she snaps after they take advantage of her one too many times and her condescending employer sacks her and throws her out of their apartment in the middle of the night. Letting off some steam in a roadside Spanish bar and nearly penniless she meets a charismatic older man whom she goes home with for the night. Forty-three year old venture capitalist, Drew Spencer, is not only kind, affluent and handsome but very taken with Poppy and what might have been a one-night stand quickly turns into a whirlwind romance with a proposal from Drew after a month. The caveat is that both Drew and Poppy commit to an agreement that they don’t talk about the past with Drew glibly stating that he doesn’t believe “total transparency is always the way towards happiness”. Of course, Poppy is not silly, she knows Drew will have his own dirty secret - just like the one she is determined to withhold - and despite the niggles in the back of her mind she parks her doubts because the agreement suits her.
The story is comprised of a dual narrative, one giving Poppy’s perspective on her unfolding marriage to Drew and one showing events ‘before’ when a twenty-one-year-old Poppy first nannied for North London couple, Caroline and Jim Walker. That Poppy is the common link between the two narratives is undisguised as is the fact that the shameful event she regrets happened during her time with the Walkers’, making her secret very guessable and leaving Drew as the real unknown quantity!
As Poppy settles into their new home in Wiltshire she is met by a frosty reception from the local villagers and is a little overawed to jointly-own the kind of home she previously worked in and by the world she now finds herself part of. Inviting best-friend and outspoken nanny, Gina, to stay and redecorating ahead of inviting Drew’s friends for a weekend temporarily distracts Poppy, but at the back of her mind she knows that Drew chose her for a reason and at some point the bombshell will drop. Disappointingly after such a long wait Drew’s secret is revealed in a flash with no build-up to the unveiling and a half-cocked denouement wraps the story up within five pages. Blink and you really will miss it!
December 20, 2020
I'm a bit torn with this one. It starts off interestingly enough - nanny gets fired and meets the man of her dreams in a random spot that turns into a whirlwind marriage with the caveat that they never speak of their pasts. What's the worry, right? 🤷 Two timelines and I'm intrigued with both of them. The pacing is quite nice and it definitely held my interest. But then.... then...
I wasn't really surprised with any of the revelations here. And that was ok - sometimes I'm perfectly fine with seeing what's coming if it keeps me entertained and interested like The Truth Hurts did. But for some reason, that very last part before the epilogue... while it may have been fitting, I huffed a bit because it also seemed like a bit of a 180. So yes, maybe a *little* surprised by that finality but (again) while fitting, seemed like a forced puzzle piece. Am I making any sense here?
What I really liked about this is that I totally get why a couple might try a *forget the past, we are only in the present* type of situation because OMG, fights that bring up the past are THE WORST. So I loved the intrigue of a couple doing this. Now, obviously this means there are some secrets we need to learn about and if both parties are agreeable then clearly .... well, I need to know what they are SO YES TO THIS.
And as I sit here and simmer, I gain a little more appreciation for that ending ... BUT, I still feel like something was off there. I can't quite put it into words on exactly why but it made me use more muscles to frown and one of my eyes rolled... and yet I'm also still like okkkkkkkkkk. Coolio. So yeah. I'm TORN. I'm sure this review was mighty helpful!
I wasn't really surprised with any of the revelations here. And that was ok - sometimes I'm perfectly fine with seeing what's coming if it keeps me entertained and interested like The Truth Hurts did. But for some reason, that very last part before the epilogue... while it may have been fitting, I huffed a bit because it also seemed like a bit of a 180. So yes, maybe a *little* surprised by that finality but (again) while fitting, seemed like a forced puzzle piece. Am I making any sense here?
What I really liked about this is that I totally get why a couple might try a *forget the past, we are only in the present* type of situation because OMG, fights that bring up the past are THE WORST. So I loved the intrigue of a couple doing this. Now, obviously this means there are some secrets we need to learn about and if both parties are agreeable then clearly .... well, I need to know what they are SO YES TO THIS.
And as I sit here and simmer, I gain a little more appreciation for that ending ... BUT, I still feel like something was off there. I can't quite put it into words on exactly why but it made me use more muscles to frown and one of my eyes rolled... and yet I'm also still like okkkkkkkkkk. Coolio. So yeah. I'm TORN. I'm sure this review was mighty helpful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 614 reviews